Saving comes with a number of benefits – chief of which is that it will help you get out of that indebted situation. One of the main reasons why you might be in debt (that has absolutely nothing to do with your self-control or paycheck) is being faced by a disruptive life event, medical bill, or tragedy. These situations will make it hard for you to adjust. However, by saving, you can get out of any situation life throws at you.

Use the following tips and tricks to activate the power of saving and solve your long term debt problems:

Pay Up

Even as you save, ensure you always pay your debts. The best way to do this is to always focus on paying off more than the minimum requirements. Most long term debts will take you ages to pay off if you only pay the minimum. However, if you save enough and work with others in the same situation (such as your old college buddies), you should be able to clear your debts easily.

Spend Less

Naturally, you must have desires that far exceed your pay cheque and earning potential. However, you need to curb these desires and take them for what they are – wants and not needs.

With the right mentality, and by keeping the right company, your spending will go down. For instance, you can double up with your colleagues at work and activate the communal effort existing there. Then, decide to save collectively by car-pooling or by agreeing to be carrying food from home instead of spending on takeout or lunching at expensive restaurants.

Never Buy New

If you are in debt, you owe other people money. Logically, it should be clear to you that you cannot afford to overspend on new products. Why not, for instance, decide to save by buying quality used products than going for new ones?

For example, you can make a decision with your spouse to increase your monthly savings by opting for a high quality used car that doesn’t consume a lot of fuel. By so doing, you will save the money you would have spent on a new car and/or on fueling such a big machine you don’t really need.

After that, you will be better placed to have enough money at the end of the money to start clearing the large stack of debts you have collectively accumulated over the years without necessarily changing your preferred lifestyle.

In the same way, empower your household by having a single car. If you already have two or more cars, get rid of the extras and start carpooling. Alternatively, invest in a good bicycle and cycle to work.

There are many other tricks you can adopt to cut down on your expenditure, increase your savings, and start paying off your long term debt. So long as you adopt a saving culture at home, at work, and while socializing with your friends, you will have enough money in your account to effectively hack away at your debts quickly and effectively. With the above suggestions, you should hopefully be able to achieve financial freedom in less time than you otherwise would have.